Foresters Come Up Just Short in Shootout with Monmouth

The Lake Forest College football team was defeated 53-47 by visiting Monmouth College on Saturday. The 100 points scored by both teams combined is the most in any game in Forester football history.

Forester quarterback Pete Scaffidi broke his own school record with 36 completions in the contest. He passed for a career-high 360 yards, the fourth-highest single-game total in team history, and his four touchdown passes give him a program record-tying 20 on the year after just six contests. In addition to posting his fourth 300-yard passing performance in the last five games, Scaffidi led the Foresters with 63 rushing yards on 17 attempts and had a 1-yard touchdown run in the second quarter.

Lake Forest junior taiback Al Mitchell ran for 62 yards and covered 121 yards on 16 receptions, one shy of the team record set by Dan Cole in 1990. He also caught his first career touchdown pass on the game's opening drive and completed a 19-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter.

Senior wide receiver Kevin Davis hauled in eight passes from Scaffifi for 116 yards and a touchdown and added a 22-yard rushing touchdown in the second quarter. Junior tight end Justin Smith entered the contest with four receptions for 64 yards in his career but caught seven passes for 66 yards and his first career touchdown. Junior wideout Rocky Al-Mutawa had three receptions for 55 yards and his first career two-touchdown game.

Sophomore linebacker John Dillon led the Forester defense with a career-high 10 tackles. Junior cornerback Darrius McKay had seven stops and picked off his team-high third pass of the year in the end zone early in the second quarter. Fellow sophomore linebacker Jordan Cruz also had an interception and returned it 33 yards. In addition, he recorded his first sack of the season and added another tackle for loss.

Each team scored a touchdown on its opening possession but Forester freshman Donnie Caldwell made his extra point while Monmouth's kicker did not, giving the home team a 7-6 advantage at the end of the first quarter.

Davis' 22-yard run gave Lake Forest a 14-6 lead five-and-a-half minutes into the second quarter but the Fighting Scots pulled back to within a point less than three minutes later. Scaffidi sneaked into the end zone with 3:21 to play before halftime but, once again, Monmouth answered with a quick touchdown drive. The visitors' two-point conversion attempt was unsuccessful and the Foresters led 21-19 at halftime.

Both teams scored seven points in the third period, Lake Forest on a 52-yard reception by Davis, and the Foresters led 28-26 entering what turned out to be a 46-point fourth quarter.

Monmouth recovered a fumble on the kickoff following its third-quarter score and took a 32-28 lead on the first play of the fourth. After a Forester punt, the teams traded touchdowns on each of the game's final six possessions. The Scots explosive offense outscored Lake Forest 27-19 in the period, despite running just 10 plays from scrimmage. Lake Forest's 40 plays in the final 15 minutes covered 221 yards and they held the ball for all but 3:29 of the fourth quarter.

The Foresters, who wore pink socks and accessories as part of the Athletic Department's Playing for a Cure initiative, fell to 1-5 overall and in Midwest Conference play. Monmouth, which was among the others receiving votes in this week's D3football.com top 25 poll, is now 6-1 overall and 6-0 in the league.

Lake Forest will be on the road each of the next two Saturdays. The Foresters will travel to Lawrence University next week and to Knox College on October 29. Both contests will begin at 1:00 p.m.